NXP’s JN5139 wireless microcontroller and the JenNet IEEE 802.15.4 self-healing wireless network protocol stack are being used in a hand hygiene system for hospitals to prevent the spread of infections.

The HyGreen Hand Hygiene and Recording system actively reminds healthcare workers to wash their hands, and records hand washing events and patient-staff interaction in the hospital. The NXP chip is used to capture and transmit data on hand washing by healthcare professionals, while JenNet enables a robust, self-healing network that helps HyGreen track all hand-washing events, as well as which patient bed each healthcare worker has visited, allowing hospitals to effectively monitor adherence to hand hygiene protocols.

After cleaning his or her hands with soap or gel, a healthcare worker places them under a HyGreen sensor which sends a wireless “all clean” message to his or her HyGreen badge, which then blinks green. When the healthcare worker approaches a patient bed, the HyGreen monitor above the bed checks if the badge is transmitting an “all clean” signal. If the badge is not green, the badge vibrates, reminding the healthcare worker to wash. Reports on hand-washing compliance are available to hospital management in real time.

NXP says HyGreen is using the company’s JN5139 wireless microcontroller and the JenNet wireless network protocol stack optimised for low-power, low-data rate applications, and also that HyGreen plans to start using the JN5148 microcontroller later this year.